Thursday, November 1, 2012

One of the primary venues of the Kochi - Muziris Biennale 2012, the Pepper House is a waterfront heritage property located on the Kalvathi Road in between Fort Kochi and Mattancherry Bazar Road.

There are two warehouses, which are of historic value. One of the warehouses is facing the street while the other one is waterfront. These large, two-story buildings with Dutch style clay roofs are separated by a large courtyard which would have once been used for storing goods waiting to be loaded onto ships in the harbour.

Presently undergoing renovation the sixteen thousand square feet Pepper House will house a courtyard cafe, gallery, studios for artist residencies and event spaces coming from various countries. Apart from these, other heritage buildings and homes will be utilized by the artists coming from different countries.

The Kochi - Muziris Biennale 2012, is an international exhibition of contemporary art being held in Kochi, Kerala. The Biennale which is held for the first time in India would place the country firmly on the global map. As many as 80 artists from 35 countries were expected to participate in the event, which would attract 80 lakh domestic and 8.5 lakh foreign tourists in the inaugural year. It is estimated that there will be a huge demand for accommodation in Fort Cochin. Though there are numerous hotels in the area, homestays offer homely accommodation without compromising on the comforts and luxury of your stay.

The exhibition will be set in spaces across Kochi, Muziris and surrounding islands. There will be shows in existing galleries and halls, and site-specific installations in public spaces, heritage buildings and disused structures. Alongside the exhibition the Biennale will offer a rich programme of talks, seminars, screenings, music, workshops and educational activities for school children and students of all ages.

Primary venues of the Biennale include the 150 year old Durbar Hall in downtown Kochi, David Hall, a restored Dutch bungalow in Fort Kochi, Pepper House, a historic spice trading godown at Kalvathy, with Dutch style clay roofs and a large courtyard, and Aspinwall House,a large trading compound aging back to the colonial era.

Apart from these, the Parade Ground and other public spaces including numerous other spice warehouses, heritage structures, theatres and halls will become temporary venues to host the city-wide exhibition of art.